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Society members, along with the National Park Service, are working to cometically restore the B&M 410 and its combine. This is the equipment that displayed on Dutton Street in downtown Lowell. The B&M 410 was built in 1911 at the Manchester Locomotive Works. It is a G-11-a class switch locomotive. To see a photo taken before the work began, visit The New England Rail Photography Archive.
Several work sessions are held during the string, and again in the fall. See the calendar for upcoming work sessions. These dates are subject to change, so please call to confirm your plans to work any of these days.
It's hard to believe that it's been 10 years that we have been working on the 410. Well she has come a long way since we first saw her rusting away in North Billerica. Thousands of man hours, many custom made parts, donations of material, along with a dedicated crew of volunteers have made it all possible.
The cab ended up needing more work than we had anticipated. A new rolled center section of roof was installed along with both the engineer's and fireman's side wall around the window replaced. The cab floors were replaced with new diamond textured steel. Hundreds of rivets and many drill bits later, all the rotted steel has been replaced. New arched wood framing for the interior roof wainscoting supports was milled and installed. New window frames built and safety glass installed. Missing parts have been re-installed in the cab on the boiler. The next step is to install the tongue and groove interior wood along with some valves and missing piping.
Scraping, priming and painting seem to be a never ending project. We are continually repainting the locomotive in order to keep it in good shape. But it's worth it because this will help preserve this rare piece of history. We are constantly getting positive remarks about how great the locomotive looks.
Most of the exterior parts have been re-installed. Brake shoes were even located and put back on. The sand domes, which had been removed were repaired and put back in their place. We had to fabricate a new headlight support platform for the front headlight, interior cab lights, and tender back-up light were restored and are now operational! They are timed to turn on every evening to the surprise of many motorists coming down Dutton Street!
The side rods were put back on. This involved having to have the locomotive moved forward and back to line everything up for the connection. A new steel bell was forged from a sand casting of an original B&M brass bell. We had the steel bell powder coated to simulate a brass bell.
The tender needed much attention as it was pretty well rotted. The tank was removed from the frame, new steel framing was installed along with a new wood deck. All of the frame and tank were cleaned, rust inhibitor applied, primed and coated with gloss black paint. We plan to close off the top of the tender with a hidden rubber roof to protect the steel from the elements.
Every part of the locomotive has been wire brushed, rust inhibitor applied, primed and painted. All piping and valves, which we have replaced, have been with A.A.R. approved parts. Albeit more expensive this way, we are keeping the locomotive original and if anyone ever tries to make it operational it should be an easier task.
Besides working on the locomotive we have also been restoring the B&M combine coupled to the 410. We have replaced an entire side of the combine with new custom milled fir tongue and groove siding. New moldings along with a new rubber roof have been installed as well. The combine has been completely repainted and relettered into its original paint scheme and number. The combine houses a display of railroad artifacts from the Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society along with an operating HO layout.
Many individuals have volunteered over the years and many continue to do so.
A project like this would not be possible without the support of many organizations. We are indebted to:
Lowell National Historical Park, Boston & Maine Railroad Corporation, Guilford Rail System, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Amtrak, Ed Kelley Sheet Metal, T&T Anodizing, My Glass Company, Martin Welding Northeast, N.E. Ventilation Co., A.J. Gagnon & Sons, Amherst Railway Society, National Railway Society.
Over the years, many individuals have helped with this project. Without their help we would have never accomplished as much as we have. We are forever indebted to these individuals. Some of our current staff consists of: Scott Batson, Fred Brown, Bill Coffey, Edward Felten, Dan Hovey, Dan Hyde, Allen Klatsky, Paul Kosciolek, Jonathan Miner and Sandy Shepard. Technical support (mechanical expert): Joe English, Master mechanic: Willis Lavallee.
We lost one of our most dedicated volunteers this past year. Joe Shaw passed away in January 2003. Joe was with the project from day one and never lost interest till the day we lost him. He is truly missed.
We are always looking for new volunteers, if you are interested, please write to us at:
B&MRRHS PO Box 9116 Lowell, MA 01853
You do not need to have any specific talents, just a willingness to help preserve a piece of railroad history.
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